New report: Mental Health Support in the Community
Between July and October 2017, Healthwatch Sheffield heard from 450 members of the public as well as staff and volunteers involved in the commissioning and provision of services.
Today Healthwatch Sheffield launches the report of this review, Mental Health Support in the Community.
Our key findings:
- People who currently access services are generally positive about their experience, however, an over arching theme was the difficulties people experienced in accessing adequate support. In some cases this led to distress and/or acute crisis.
- After being discharged, people described difficulties getting the help they feel is needed.
- There is a desire for more and earlier public involvement in designing services and better communication when changes are taking place.
- Concerns about the impact of the reorganisation of Community Mental Health Teams were raised by service users, carers and front line staff throughout the course of our review. Concerns have been shared directly with Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust and with NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group.
Margaret Kilner, Chief Officer for Healthwatch Sheffield said:
‘Since its inception in 2013, Healthwatch Sheffield has repeatedly heard from local communities that they want to see improvements in mental health support in all settings; timely and consistent diagnoses, support given sooner, and treatment provided before a crisis is reached.
Commissioners and providers of mental health services have stated their commitment to widening access to support and valuing mental health equally with physical health, however, the people we spoke to told us that significant barriers still exist.
This report builds on our 2016 investigation ‘Crisis or Care’ and we will continue to create opportunities for service users and their families/carers to share their views to influence the city’s key decision makers in this area.'
We have invited NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group and Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust to provide a written response to the recommendations we have made, which will be included in an updated version of the public report.
Interested in reading more?
The full report is available below, along with the responses we receive from local services:
